Gadgets

Made by Serif

What to buy in 2011..

As technology moves relentlessly forward, new ground-breaking products come into popular use until, all of a sudden, everyone seems to have one. They nearly always bring great performance advantages and improved usability with them, but the annoying thing is that they usually make some other older technology redundant.

Most households now have a digital TV (or an analogue TV using a freeview box) as we plunge towards the digital switchover dates, but video machines require an analogue signal, and once it has been turned off, you will no longer be able to use it to record your favourite programmes whilst you are out. A digital recording device will be required.

Most terrestrial TV channels allow you to watch past programmes on the Internet through what is known as On Demand TV BBC iPlayer, 4OD, ITV Player etc.

Whilst viewing On Demand TV on a computer is perfectly possible, wouldnt it be nice if you could view it on the new digital flat screen TV youve just installed?

Smartphones dont just make phone calls or take pictures; you can now surf the web and download and watch TV and movies. However, they are all designed to be flat and thin, so unless you want to hold it all the time how do you keep it at the proper viewing angle?

In response, a whole industry of converters/adapters/senders gadgets in other words - has grown up to connect all these disparate technologies, and make well received gifts for those technically minded friends or relatives.

December 2010 The new Mobile TV decoder, the Drifta, is a separate device that receives the DStv Mobile broadcast signal and relays it over Wi-Fi to a range of WiFi-capable laptops, PCs, tablets and smartphones. At launch the Drifta supports Windows and iOS devices such as the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Blackberry OS, Symbian^3 and Android applications are in development and more devices that work with the Drifta will be enabled soon.

The channel line-up on the DStv Mobile bouquet will initially include a selection of SuperSport channels (1, 2, 3 and Blitz), Africa Magic, Cartoon Network, Trace and a DStv Events Channel.

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